Holiday travel can lead to some of the most wonderful times of the year, but it can also bring its share of challenges. From inevitable flight delays and cancellations to being flagged at security for a gift that doesn’t meet TSA requirements or trying to squeeze heavy winter coats and clothing into luggage, traveling during the holidays can be stressful.
To help make traveling this holiday season a bit easier, our team has put together some helpful tips and ideas based on real-world experience, TSA recommendations and research. While you can’t control the weather or plenty of other factors, you can take some steps to make holiday travel run smoother.
Plan ahead
A little planning can save you time and money during the holiday travel season.
— Prepare for the unexpected: Travel insurance can help protect your travel plans from sicknesses, layoffs, major winter storms, lost luggage and more. Depending on your plans, save yourself some stress and determine if travel insurance is worth it for your trip.
— Ship gifts to your destination: If you’re heading to the home of family or friends, consider shipping gifts directly to their residence, rather than trying to pack or shop upon arrival. This can help you maximize your Amazon Prime membership, take advantage of seasonal free shipping promotions, and avoid a last-minute trip to the post office or an overweight luggage fee.
— Invest in packing cubes: These travel tools are a must for maximizing packing capacity and keeping everything organized. Some even offer compression features to utilize space even better. Our editors have tested many options and selected a few top packing cubes to consider.
— Make sure your suitcases are in good working condition: You don’t want to ruin your trip with a suitcase that can’t withstand the rigors of travel, resulting in a broken wheel or a zipper that doesn’t want to open or hold. If it’s time for new luggage, our editors have tested a wide range of options. Check out our recommendations for the best carry-on luggage, personal item bags, weekender bags, backpacks and checked bags.
— Label your luggage: With all the things that might be going on in the airport, train station or hotel, it’s not hard to get separated from your luggage. Be sure you have enough luggage tags for every piece of luggage you plan to take (even that extra bag for the way home). An added bonus: Your bag will stand out at baggage claim with a statement tag. You might also want to consider a luggage tracker.
— Protect your valuable information: Busy airports, malls and large gathering spots are prime spots for pickpockets and ID skimmers. Consider an anti-theft travel purse like the Travelon Anti-Theft Classic Crossbody and invest in RFID blocking sleeves for your credit cards (they make a great stocking stuffer too).
What to pack
Depending on where you live and what climate you’re traveling to, making a vacation packing list for holiday and winter travel can be a bit of a challenge. When bringing items like bulky sweaters (especially that one you want for the ugly sweater contest) and warm boots for winter walks, you’ll need to maximize the space in your suitcase.
— Have luggage that aligns with requirements: Before you pack, review carry-on size and weight guidelines and checked bag requirements for your airline.
— Pack smart: Before any trip, TSA recommends you begin with an empty bag. This will help you avoid the accidental packing of any unwanted or prohibited items.
— Properly packed gifts: If you purchased unique, hard-to-find or one-of-a-kind gifts, you’ll want to consider packing these in your carry-on bag to ensure their safety. But keep in mind that you should wait to wrap your gifts until you’ve arrived at your destination, in case they need to be inspected by TSA.
— Maximize space: If you’ll need cold weather gear at your destination, think of layers. Consider wearing your heaviest pants, sweater or boots on your travel day, or pack socks, accessories and smaller items in boot shafts in your luggage to take up less space.
— Bundle up baked goods and holiday treats: From family recipes to festive favorites, if you’re planning to travel with baked goods or holiday treats, you are permitted to go through TSA with solid food items like cake, pie or cookies. If you’re bringing spreadable or pourable items like wine, cranberry sauce, jam or honey, you’ll need to put those items in your checked baggage (and make sure they’re well sealed).
— Buy travel-ready gifts: Let’s face it, the items you travel with take a lot of tossing around, whether you’re running through the airport or subjecting them to the rigors of checked baggage. To make gifting on the go easier, our team compiled a list of holiday presents that travel well.
— Be ready to wrap: If you’re traveling by air or waiting to wrap your gifts until you’ve arrived, consider packable wrapping options. For kitchen gifts you can get a tea towel to use as wrapping paper, and bath or spa items can be wrapped in a hand towel. Or, get a gift wrap book that can easily be packed.
— Save some room: Be prepared for gifts you’ll receive or some holiday shopping finds by bringing expandable luggage, such as the Hanke foldable and expandable suitcase or a packable tote like the Lug Boxer overnighter.
Air travel day tips
Key dates around Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s are some of the busiest airport travel days of the year. Beyond the additional travelers going through airports, weather can also have a big impact on schedules.
— Arrive early: According to TSA, you should get to the airport at least two hours prior to a domestic flight and three hours before an international flight. If you need wheelchair assistance or want time for a meal, plan to arrive at the airport even earlier.
— Be ready to go through TSA:
— Download the free TSA app to check delays, security guidelines and more.
— Keep in mind what you can pack in carry-on bag, and place all liquids, gels and creams in bottles of 3 ounces or less in a 1-quart clear bag.
— Remove all beverages like bottles of water (and empty your refillable water bottles) before you enter the TSA checkpoint.
— Have your ID and boarding pass ready when you reach the security checkpoint.
— While waiting in the security line, empty your pockets and have all items stowed in your carry-on bag to go through the screening machines.
— If you’re a traveler with disabilities, medical conditions or special conditions needing extra assistance with security, you can reach out to TSA Cares 72 hours prior to travel via phone at 855-787-2227 or email TSA Cares. Note: If you need wheelchair transportation, reach out directly to your airline.
— Do not travel through TSA with wrapped gifts, as they could be confiscated or required to be unwrapped.
Prepare for flight delays, changes and cancellations
With the possibility of anything from winter storms to unexpected flight delays to overbooked flights, it’s important to be prepared, informed and flexible.
— Be informed: Know your passenger rights and understand what to do if your flight gets canceled.
— Carry medications and essentials with you: In case of a flight delay or lost luggage, be sure to keep in mind the items you should pack in your carry-on bag rather than in checked luggage.
— Pack a few things to pass the time: In the event you experience a long flight delay or have an extra-long layover, having a few small items in your carry-on bag like the World’s Smallest Uno card game, a mini coloring book or a good read can help make the time fly.
Why Trust U.S. News Travel
Rachael Hood loves to pack. From having just the right suitcase for the trip to preparing travel-ready snacks and activities, she believes in planning ahead to enjoy the journey. Hood used her travel experience and research expertise to write this article in hopes to make holiday travel easier — and maybe even more fun.
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— The Most Festive Holiday Hotels
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19 Best Holiday Travel Hacks for 2024 originally appeared on usnews.com
